Railway signaling apparatus.



B. P. .WOODING. RAILWAY SIGNALING APPARATUS.

APPLIG'ATION FILED MAY23.I 13H1.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Patented Mal". 24, i914 www2.'

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L/ @Hennig B. F. WOODING. RAILWAY SIGNALING APP'ARATUS. APPLICATIONFILED MAY 2s, 1911.

Patented Ma1124, 1914 2 SHEBTS-SHEET 2.

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RAILWAY SIGNALNQ APPARATUS.

To all whom t may concern: i,

Be it known that BnNJaMrN F. Woonine, a citizen of the United States,Yresiding in the city and county of Denver and State or Colorado, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway SignalingApparatus; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription 'of the invention, 'such as will enable others skilled inthe art tol which it appertainsto make and use the same, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters ot referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this speciication. y

My invention relates to improvements in railway signaling apparatus-` Inmy improved construction the track is blocked. n f

My special object is to automatically give an alarm and vsimultaneouslyapply the air brakes whenever the train comes into dangerous proximitywithanother train.. I employ a magnet, which is mounted upon the trainand normally in a closed circuit, the circuit being carried wholly bythe train;

'and part ot the train, as the locomotive, is

equipped with two oscillatory hangers through which the normallyclosedtrain circuit 1s completed. At suitable intervals along the trackcontacts are arranged, adapted to engage one of these hangers, wherebythe train circuit through the magn'et is broken, and a circuitimmediately re- Vestablished through the track and relays arranged alongthe track, in case the track is clear. However, it a train has entered ablock in dangerous proximity to lanother traimthe relay circuit will beshort-circuited through the track, whereby the relay magnetis-denergized, permitting its armature to fall away from the contacts,whereby the circuit of the approaching-train magnet is broken, in whichevent, the armature of the magnet moves downwardly and opens avalvewhich releases the air of the air brake system, applies the brakes,and operates a whistle, thus simultaneously stopping the train andgiving the alarm. In the event that the track is clear, the energizedcondition. of the train magnet is not only maintained, but a signal bellupon the train is soundedwhile the train hanger is in engagement with atrack contact. These track con tacts are arranged at such intervals asto fully protect the trains and prevent their approaching each otherinsuch proximity Specification of Letters Patent. Paijntged Rial, 24,1914. Appncaat and my as, 1911. sum1 No. ceases.

contactsjwhen the train is moving, in one direction and the hangers onthe opposite side of thetrain when the train is traveling in theopposite direction.

Having briefly outlined my improved construction, I will proceed todescribe the same ,in detail, reference being made to the accompanyin'gdrawing in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof.

In this drawing: Figure 1 is a section taken through the cab of thelocomotive, illustrating my improved signaling mechanism. Fig.2is 'alongitudinal section taken through one of the oscillatory hangers of thetrain, the same being' shownon a largerlseale. Fig. 3 is. an elevationof one of these lmngers viewed in the same position as shown in Fig. 2.'Fig. 4 is a side view ora view looking at right angles to Figs. 2 and 3.Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic-view illustrating the track .relays and thecircuits in which they are located.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the views.t

i Let the numeral', 5 designate one of the track rails and 6 thcopposite rail. As illustrated in the drawing, the track rail 5. iscontinuous or forms an uninterrupted electrical conductor, while thecontinuity of the track rail ,6s so far as its electrical conductivityis. concerned, is interrupted at suitable intervals,as shown'at 7, thusforming the track into blocks. The distance between two of theinterruptions 7 may be termed a block for the'purpose of explaining mysignaling system.

The train equipment will now be eX- plained.

Suitably mountedupon the train is a magnet 8, having a verticallydisposed movable 'armature 9, with which is connected a rod 10, whoselower extremity is provided with a valve 12which normally closes a port13 incommunication with the air of the air brake system. Under normalcondit-ions, or when the coils 14 of the magnet are energized, thearmature of the magnet is su ported in such a position as to close t evalve i2'. When, however, the circuit is broken through the coils 14:,the armature `falls and opens the said valve, k,releasing the airsuliiciently to apply the lbrakes and at.

` armature drops to open the. air valve 12, the

lifter 2O is employed for bringing the armature of the magnet withinactin distance, when the circuit is again closed trough the magnetcoils, this lifting operation being accomplished by taking hold of thelever 19 and moving the same upwardly, whereby a c lifting movement 4isimparted to the device 20, upon which the armature rests when thecircuit is broken. The coils ofl the magnet 8 are located in twocircuits one of which is carried wholly by the train, while the other iscompleted through the track rails and relays arranged along the track,as heretofore intimated. plained.

The normal train circuit is provided with a sourceof electricity 21 fromthe positive pole 22 of which an electrical conductor 23 leads to a lamp24, whence a conductor 25 leads to acontact 26 mounted on a stationarypart of the train, the said contact being insulated from the metal partof the train and arranged to coperate with a contact 27 carried by andinsulated from a metal hanger 28, pivotedon the train as shown at 29,whereby it is permitted an oscillatory movement. The contact 27isnormally held in engagement with the contact 26 by a spiral spring 30located in a recess 31, surrounded by insulating material 32. The uppercurved surface of the hanger 28 is covered with a layer of insulatingmaterial, as shown at 33. In the bottom of the recess 31 is located ametal part 34 from which leads a conductor 35, which is insulated fromthe body or metal part 36 of the oscillatory hanger. The lower extremityof the conductor 35 is exposed and directly connected with a metal part37 of the hanger, this part being arranged to engage contacts 38arranged along the track at suitable distances to compel every train soequipped to automatically' test the track in either direction .for thepurpose of determining whether o1" not other trains are in dangerousproximity.

Each hanger 29 is provided with a laterally projecting arm 39 carrying aroller 40 occupying a posit-ion between two leaf springs 41 and 42, thesprings being under such tension as to maintain a rigid normal position.

The electric current, if we assume that the hanger 28 is in its normalor vertical positionl will pass through the conductor 35, and

These circuits will now be eX- insulated from the metal body of the car,

but connected with the bracket frame 49, also insulated from the metalcar body, the circuit being completed through the frame supporting theoscillatory hanger, thence from the lower extremity of said hangerthrough the conductor 35 to the contact 27, thence through itscoperating contact 26, and a conductor 51 to the opposite pole 52 of theelectrical source 21, completing the circuit. I have thus traced thepath of the circuit through the coils 14 of the magnet under normalconditions, and when neither oscillatory hangerI is moved out of itsvertical position by enga ing a track contact 38.

Referring flow to lig. 5, I will assume thatthe train, conventionallyillustrated in Fig. l, is in the full line position in Fig. 5, the

said train being designated by the numeral 53. I will also designate thevarious blocks illustrated in-Fig. 5, as A, B, C, D, and E. According tothis arrangement, the train 53 is in block C, and if we assume that thetrack is clear as to block D, the circuit may be described as follows:Whenever an oscillatory hanger 28 engages a Contact 38, the said hangeris thrown to the position indicated at the left in Fig. 1, whereby thetwo contacts 26 and 27 are thrown out of engagement and the circuitbroken through the coils 14 of the magnet 8, through the battery 21.However, as soon as the circuit is broken through the last namedbattery, the circuit is closed through the coils 14 of the magnet 8,through a second battery 55, also carried by the train, in the followingmanner: From the pole 56 of the battery 55, a conductor 57 leads to aterminal 58 of the coils 14 of the magnet 8, thence from an oppositeterminal 46 of the said coils, through a conductor 47, a contact 48 andthe metal bracket 49, the metal part 36 of the oscillatory hanger 28 onthe lefthand side (see Fig. 1), thence through one member 59 of thetrack contact 38, thence through a conductor 60 to a stationary contact65, thence through a coperating contact 66 mounted on an arm 67,normally acted on by a magnet 86 to maintain a closed circuit throughthe relay, thence through the arm 67 of the relay, throughv a shortconductor 68 of the relay to the track rail 5, thence through the saidrail to a wheel 69 of the train, thence throu h the metal part 44 ofthecar to a point %0 thereon, thence throu h a conductor 71 to a Losannaductor Z8 to the negative pole 740i the bati D, the metal wheels andaxle of this trainv will short-circuit the current between a section 75of the track rail 6 and the track rail 5, whereby the current is cut oitfrom the magnet 86 and the latter denergized. As soon as this occurs,the armature 67 will fall to the dotted line position in Fig. 5, thusbreaking the through the armature 67 of the relay at the extreme left ofFig. 5, and the coils 14 of the magnet 8. As soon as this occurs, thearmature 9 of the last named magnet will drop downwardly opening theValve 12 and allowing the air to escape through the. port 13,sufficiently to release `the air of the air lbrake system and apply theautomatic brakes simultaneously with the sounding of the whistle l5.

The circuit of the magnet 86 in block I), may be traced as follows: Fromthe positive pole 76 of a battery. 77, a conductor 78 leads to a section75 oi the track rail 6, thence from the said track rail section througha conductor 79t0 a terminal 8() of the relay magnetSG, thence from theopposite terminal 81]'. through a conductor 82 and the armatura ,t'tfata point 83, thence through the hondttctor 68 to the track rail 5, thencefrom tile/said rail through a conductor 87 to the negatiye'pole 84 ofthe battery 77, completing the'circuit. Now, it is evi-- dent that, assoon as a train, as that designated 54, has entered a block D, themagnet 86 will be denergized by the short-circuit,- ing of the currentthrough the train 54., as heretofore explained.

From the foregoing description, it will be understood that, it a train53 enters block C, and a train-54 is in the adjacent block D, train 53will be warned as soon as its oscillatory hanger 28 engages the member59 of a contact 38, since, in this event, the circuit will beinterrupted through the coils 14 of the magnet 8 of the train 53 bybreakin the circuit through the relay in block D, and allowing the'armature to fall, whereby the air valve is opened and the air releasedfor brakesctting purposes on train 53, a whistle on the same tr-ainbeing simultaneously sounded, as heretofore explained.

Attention is called to the fact that while the current which suppliesthe magnets 86 short-circuited through the track rails 5 and 6 when atrain enters a block, thus decircuit heretofore traced.

energizing the corresponding magnet 86 and breaking the circuit throughthe magnet 8 on the train,l the same result will follow the breaking ofu rail sectioni 75 for the breaking of the rail within the limits of anyblock. Hence, if a rail is broken, the air brakes will be applied and awhistle sounded on'a train in an adjacent block in the same manner as ifa train had entereda block, as heretofore described. l

Attention is called to the fact that the contacts 59 and 90 are soarranged upon one side of the track that when the train is going towardthe left (Fig. 5), one of the hangers attached to the train will engagethe inner faces of the contacts 59 at their right hand extremities,while whenthe train is'traveling toward the right (also Fig. 5), thehanger upon the oppositel side of the said train will engage the outerfaces of the con-v tacts 90 at their left handl extremities. This istruel because the left hand extremity of the outer face of each contactmember'88 is practically in alinement with the 'right hand extremity ofthe inner faceof said member, although the first named extremity is atrilie closer; z'. e., a distance equal to the thickness of one of thecontact members, to-

the track 6, than the last named extremity.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim is:

1. In combination withan engine cab, .a contact brush comprising aleverpivoted upon said cab to swing vertically transversely ot Jthe cab,said lever being "constructed of conducting material and a con ductorIextending through said lever from end to end and insulated therefromexcept 'at its lower extremity.

2. In combination with an engine cab, a

bracket mounted upon said cab, a lever mounted intermediate its 'endsupon a horizontal pivot in said bracket, an arm extending outwardly atan angle from said lever, a double spring device securedv upon andinsulated from the cab, said spring device being adapted to bearagainstthe opposite sides of said arm, tending to hold the latter in apredetermined position and to return it to said position when movedtherefrom and an electric conductor extending through said lever fromend to end and' insulated therefrom except at the lower extremity.y

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature -in presence ol two witnesses.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN "WOODINVG,v Witnesses:

F. E. BOWEN, C. E. BRADEN.

